A request is made to fund additional and back-up instrumentation on the R/V Marcus Langseth, a 235' Global seismic vessel with general oceanographic capabilities operated by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University as part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System research fleet. The request includes four items listed by priority:
MCS Streamer Recovery Devices MCS Streamer Tow Leader RE Terminations Processing, Computing and Logging Servers Sound Source Jumper Rearrangement
Broader Impacts: The acquisition, maintenance and operation of shared-use instrumentation allows NSF-funded researchers from any US university or lab access to working, calibrated instruments for their research, reducing the cost of that research, and expanding the base of potential researchers
Project Outcome Report for OCE 10-16187 2010 Instrumentation Award Office of Marine Operations Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University The Research Vessel (R/V) Marcus G Langseth is operated at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University on behalf of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The R/V Langseth is the US National Seismic Facility and brings a unique capability to the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) academic research fleet of vessels. The R/V Langseth provides t the U.S. academic community seismic imaging that can operate in both 2D and 3D modes. This imaging capability enables scientists to tackle a wide range of marine earth science problems and leads to a better understanding of the dynamics of earth systems. The research programs operated off the Langseth seek a better understanding of various Earth Science questions such as climactic variability, eustatic records of global sea level change, crustal structure, magma migration, anthropogenic sound and marine mammals, CO2 saturation levels in the Earth’s oceans and dynamics of a tectonic plate collision. The Langseth also maintains a general-purpose capability affording researchers the opportunity to utilize the ship for programs involving biological, chemical and physical oceanographic research. The Langseth presents a singular opportunity for researchers from across the country and around the world to investigate a range of questions regarding the marine sciences. When operating in 3D mode and towing a 4x 6km array of hydrophones called streamers and 4 sound source strings, the Langseth enables scientists to develop detailed images of the earth’s structure, gaining a better understanding of processes that can affect society such as tsunami-generating and otherwise damaging earthquakes. Another Langseth contribution is to the education of students pursuing degrees in the ocean sciences. Participants in these programs include undergraduates, graduates and post-docs. In all cases, the students participate as integral members of a research team, obtaining firsthand experience in "at-sea" research. Public outreach regarding the Langseth is ongoing throughout any given year. The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory website (www.ldeo.columbia.edu/research/office-of-marine-operations) provides access for the public to learn about the Langseth’s capabilities and serves as a window into the world of marine research. Impact of 2010 Instrumentation Award Equipment: The 2010 Instrumentation award provided critical equipment improvements and upgrades for the Langseth in 2010 and 2011. With these funds, various areas of technical needs were addressed: New computer servers with expanded capabilities are now installed on the Langseth that provide necessary improvements for multi-channel data recording. A new wiring scheme to improve the rigging and simplify the trouble-shooting tasks for the source arrays was devised by Langseth technical staff. Essential to this improvement was the purchase of new electrical jumpers – all of which were purchased using this award funds. 3 streamer tow leaders (lead-ins) were re-terminated in order to keep the units not only active but also keep the Langseth capable of meeting the specification for towing 4 streamers in 3D mode. This award covered costs for the required equipment and technical assistance to complete these tasks. The Langseth utilizes streamer recovery devices (SRDs) during all streamer operations. These units are an insurance factor against losing the streamer(s) completely if a passing vessel (for instance) cut the streamers or streamer control was lost due to loss of propulsion on the Langseth. These SRDs are self-inflating devices attached to the streamer(s) are set intervals that are rigged to "go off" if the streamer reaches a certain depth. The Langseth’s complement of these devices was not sufficient for operations. Funds from this award enabled the purchase of new units and recharge kits.
